Fastener installation and crimping tool

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to improvements in crimping tools particularly of the type which are used for the installation of fasteners.

O United States Patent [151 3,638,472 Orloff et al. Feb. 1, 1972 [54]FASTENER INSTALLATION AND [56] References Cited R MPING L C l T00 UNITEDSTATES PATENTS [72] Inventors: John I". Orlofl Mt. Clemens; William E.

Pinkeflon' Dearborn both of Baugh et BI Mich 3,478,564 ll/l969 Hurd..72/39l [73] Assignee: Hock Manulncturing Company, Detroit, primary E iA d w R, Juhasz Assistant Examiner- Leon Gilden 2 Filed: Jan. 30 1970Atl0rneyHarness, Dickey 8L PICNIC [21] Appl. No.2 7,ll3 [57] ABSTRACTThe present invention relates to improvements in crimping U.S. 0'sparticularly of the type are used for the installa. [5 I] Int. Cl...B2ld 9/05, B23p 1 1/00 i f f t [58] Field oiSearch ..29/243.5, 243.52;72/391 2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 2 7 i/ If ,7; f/ j! PAIENIEB res nan(638,472

summon FASTENER INSTALLATION AND CRIMPING TOOL BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The installation tool of the present invention has particularutility for use with a special type of fastener. As here illustrated,such a fastener comprises a bolt and special form of nut or collar inwhich the nut is first threaded onto the bolt and thereafter crimped.The affect of the crimping is to cause a portion of the counterbore ofthe collar to be forced into additional locking grooves on the pin andto effect an elongation of the collar or nut which places the bolt underhigh residual tension. In order to be assured of the predetermined anduniform clamping forces and the high tensile values of these fasteners,the crimping action of the installation must be properly and uniformlylocated with respect to the nut during the crimping operation and theelongation of the collar during crimping must be accommodated.Accordingly, it is one of the primary objects of the present inventionthat a positive locating means he provided in the tool which does notinterfere with the crimping action, but at the same time assures aproper location of the crimping portion of the tool with respect to thecollar and also accommodates the reaction force against it caused bysuch elongation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings in which like numerals are used to designate like parts in theseveral views throughout;

FIG. I is a cross-sectional view showing an installation tool of thepresent invention incorporating the locater of the present inventionwhich accommodates the elongation of the collar during crimping and withthe crimping jaws shown in closed position;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of FIG. 1 taken in the direction ofthe arrow 2";

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial view of FIG. I showing the tool in itsrelationship to the fastener being applied at the initial stages ofcrimping;

FIG. 4 is a yiew similar to FIG. 3 at the completion of the crimpingoperation;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the end of the locater bar; and

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of FIG. 5.

The present invention is a companion invention to that disclosed andclaimed in Hurd US. Pat. No. 3,478,564.

Referring to the drawings, an installation tool incorporating featuresof the present invention is generally indicated at 11 and is illustratedin FIGS. 3 and 4 in its position with respect to the work. Panels 12 and13 having aligned openings 14 therethrough are adapted to be securedtogether by means of the fastener which includes a bolt 15 having anintegral head 16, a threaded end portion 17 and an intermediate smoothportion 18. The bolt 15 is adapted to extend through the alignedopenings 14 with a threaded end 17 projecting therebeyond onto which anut 19 is torqued.

Such nut 19 has a threaded end 20 with the exterior thereof properlyformed for the application of a wrench. The nut 19 also has a smoothcounterbore 21. The nut 19 is first torqued onto the bolt 15, withproper grip application so that when the nut 19 is against the adjacentface of panel 13, a portion of the counterbore 2l overlies the innermostthreads 17 which provide locking grooves.

Since the nut 19 is first torqued onto the bolt 15, they are thus fixedtogether. During the crimping operation the crimp is applied to thesmooth counterbore portion of the nut overlying the innermost lockinggrooves and is forced into such grooves providing additional threadbearing and causing an elongation of the collar which causes the pin tocorrespondingly elongate and places it under additional tension, i.e.,additional to any tension that has been applied to the bolt caused bythe initial torquing of the nut.

By properly locating the crimping portion of the tool with respect toits proper longitudinal position with respect to the nut, the crimpingparts of the tool will therefore overlie the proper part of thecounterbore and assure a predetennined and uniform clamping force andhigh tensile values mentioned above.

The crimping tool 11 comprises a cylinder assembly generally indicatedat 22, a crimping collet generally indicated at 23, a collect actuatingmember or housing generally indicated at 24 and a locating meansgenerally indicated at 25.

The cylinder assembly 22 comprises a cylinder 26 having a cylindricalbore 27 therethrough.

A piston 28 is mounted for reciprocation within the bore 27. Such pistonhas a cylindrical rod 29 which projects through a sealed opening 30fonned in one end of the housing 26. The rod 29 is provided with athreaded opening 31 therein which is adapted to threadably receive areduced threaded projection 32 of the collet 23. The collet 23 may thusbe adjustably positioned with respect to the piston 28. The housing 26is formed with a counterbore 33 which receives the annular flange end ofthe barrel housing 24. The barrel housing 24 is fixed in suchcounterbore 33 by means of an arc ring 34 which is snapped into anannular groove provided in the counterbore 33 and abuts the adjacentflange of the housing 24.

The housing 24 has a cylindrical opening 35 therethrough which isconcentric to the collet 23.

The collet 23 has a cylindrical body portion 36 which is concentric withthe threaded end 32. Such body portion 36 has forwardly extendinglongitudinally extending resilient crimping fingers 37, there being fourof such fingers in the embodiment illustrated and which may beresiliently moved from the open position shown in FIG. 3 to the closedposition shown in FIG. 4. Such fingers 37 terminate at the outer ends incrimping jaws 38 which have outer tapered surfaces 39 and which haveinwardly directed crimping projections 40.

The barrel 24 has tapered surfaces 41 which lie adjacent and embrace thetapered surfaces 39 of the crimping jaws 38 so that upon relativelongitudinal movement between the housing 24 and the collet 25, thecrimping jaws are caused to move from open to closed positions.

The housing 24 is fixed to the housing 22 and the collet 25 is fixed tothe piston 28 so that upon reciprocation of the piston this relativemovement between the collet 25 and the housing 24 is effected.

The means for causing reciprocation of piston 28 may be either of theair or hydraulic types, both known, and one of such means is shown herefor purpose of illustration and completion.

The housing 26 is closed at the opposite end by means of a cylinder endcap 42, which is threaded into the end of the housing 26. Such end caphas a central sealed opening 43 therethrough which receives anadjustable stop 44. Such stop 44 has a threaded end which is threadedinto a threaded opening in the outer face of cap 42 with a smoothcylindrical portion 45 received within the opening 43 and projectingtherebeyond into contact with the adjacent end face of the piston 28. Byadjusting the stop 44 the stroke of the piston 28 may be adjusted.

An adapter for the introduction and exhaust of the actuating fluid isgenerally indicated at 46 and is suitably secured to the underside ofhousing 26. Such housing 46 has an inlet port 47 communicating with alongitudinally extending inlet passage 48 formed therein which in turncommunicates with passage 49 with inlet passage 50 fonned in the housing26 on the rod side of the piston 28. The inlet passage 50 communicateswith the piston bore 27 so that upon application of fluid underpressure, the piston is caused to move toward the right (viewing FIG.1).

An exhaust port 5l is provided in the adapter housing 46 whichcommunicates with an exhaust passage 52. Such exhaust passage 52communicates through passage 53 with an exhaust passage 54 fonned in thehousing 26. Such exhaust passage 54 communicates with the bore 47 of thehousing 26 on the right side of the piston 28 (viewing FIG. I

A dump or relief valve 55 of known structure and function is mountedwithin the housing 26 and projects through an opening 56 formed in thepiston 28. The valve is generally in the form of a cylindrical pinhaving a flat or reduced portion 57 formed thereon which is disposed onthe rod side of the piston 28 and is of such length that uponreciprocation of the piston, fluid may bleed therethrough on oppositesides of the piston.

It will thus be evident that upon controlled introduction of fluidpressure through passages 47, 48, 49 and 50 (from a known source), thepiston 28 is caused to move'to the position shown in FIG. 1 and thecrimping jaws are in the closed or crimped position shown in FIG. I. Atthis time the fluid exhausts through passages 54, 53, 52 and 51.

The fluid flow may then be reversed so that the fluid under pressure isintroduced through the passages indicated to cause a relative movementbetween the collet 23 and the housing 24 so that the crimping jaws moveforwardly out of the housing 24 to open position.

The stop 25 of the present invention consists of an elongated rod 59terminating in a threaded end 60. A stop element 61 is movably mountedon the outer end of rod 59. Such element 6] is generally cylindrical inform and has a smooth bore 62 at one end and an enlarged counterbore 63at the outer end. The element portion 61 terminates in an annularlocater face 64.

The stop 61 is slidably mounted to the end of the rod 59 by means of ascrew 65 which projects through the smooth bore 62 and has a head whichabuts against an inner annular wall 66 of the stop 61.

A plurality of disc spring washers 67 are mounted in series between theend of the stop element 6! and the adjacent face of the rod 59. The stopelement 6! is thus free to slide on the screw 65 relative to the bar 59against the pressure of the spring discs 67. The threaded end 60 of therod 59 is threaded into a threaded opening formed in the body 36 of thecollet 23 and may be adjusted therealong by means of a suitable tool.The stop member 25 is thus concentrically disposed with respect to thecollet 23 and the housing 24 and is of such a rigid character that inits adjusted position is rigidly located longitudinally with respect tothe collet 23.

According to the present invention, the face 64 of the locater element61 is smooth and is adapted to be pushed against the end of the nut 19at the beginning of the operation, as shown in FIG. 3. The crimping jaws40 are thus properly located with respect to the bore 21 of the nut InFIG. 4, the parts are shown in the finally crimped position and duringthe crimping between the positions shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the nut 19elongates due to such crimping. The reaction force against the stopelement 6! is accommodated by the sliding movement of the element 61relative to the end of the bar 59 and against the action of the springdist: 67, from the position shown in FIG. 3 to that shown in FIG. 4. Itwould be noted that the stop element 61 has been moved toward the bar 59and that the spring elements 67 have correspondingly collapsed.

The structure of the locater and the stop of the present invention areparticularly significant in the larger size fasteners where the forcecaused by the elongation of the collar is not only relatively high, butthe linear extent of the elongation is also relatively high.

What is claimed is:

1. A fastener installation tool for setting a fastener comprising a pinhaving a head and shank and locking grooves formed in the shank at aposition spaced from said head and a nut disposed on said shank at aposition over said grooves, said tool comprising a tubular barrel memberprovided with an open end and a plurality of longitudinally extending,radially movable crimping jaws concentrically disposed within saidbarrel member, said jaws and said barrel being longitudinally movablewith respect to each other between open and closed positions of saidjaws, the outer ends of said jaws and barrel member having copperatingtapered surfaces to effect radial movement of said aws upon relativelongrtudmal movement between said jaws and said barrel member, afastener engaging stop means mounted within said tool in predeterminediongitudinal position with respect to said jaws, said stop meansincluding a bar mounted within said tool in fixed longitudinal positionwith respect thereto, a stop element movably mounted on the end of saidbar to engage the outer end of said nut, first means for preventingmovement of said stop element transversely to the longitudinal axis ofsaid bar, second means for limiting movement of said stop element alongsaid longitudinal axis, and spring means interposed between said stopelement and said bar for biasing said stop element against said secondmeans, said spring means comprising a plurality of disc spring waiters.

2. A fastener installation tool according to claim I, wherein said stopelement comprises a continuous planar surface adapted to engage saidnut.

i t i G t

1. A fastener installation tool for setting a fastener comprising a pin having a head and shank and locking grooves formed in the shank at a position spaced from said head and a nut disposed on said shank at a position over said grooves, said tool comprising a tubular barrel member provided with an open end and a plurality of longitudinally extending, radially movable crimping jaws concentrically disposed within said barrel member, said jaws and said barrel being longitudinally movable with respect to each other between open and closed positions of said jaws, the outer ends of said jaws and barrel member having cooperating tapered surfaces to effect radial movement of said jaws upon relative longitudinal movement between said jaws and said barrel member, a fastener engaging stop means mounted within said tool in predetermined longitudinal position with respect to said jaws, said stop means including a bar mounted within said tool in fixed longitudinal position with respect thereto, a stop element movably mounted on the end of said bar to engage the outer end of said nut, first means for preventing movement of said stop element transversely to the longitudinal axis of said bar, second means for limiting movement of said stop element along said longitudinal axis, and spring means interposed between said stop element and said bar for biasing said stop element against said second means, said spring means comprising a plurality of disc spring washers.
 2. A fastener installation tool according to claim 1, wherein said stop element comprises a continuous planar surface adapted to engage said nut. 